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Plugged In
with William Brown, CGCS
The times they are a changin'
Another edition of the GCSAA Education Conference and Golf Industry Show has come and gone, and I'm still
amazed how prevalent technology has become at this event.
I can remember the frst time I was asked by GCSAA to
demonstrate the capabilities of the iPhone at GIS. The iPhone
3GS had been released that previous summer, and the App
Store was seeing some growth. I gave my demonstrations in a
little booth called the Test Drive Technology Center, which at
the time included a few iMacs, a touch screen PC and a table
with some giveaways. The iPad hadn't even been talked about
yet, and if you asked 99 percent of the industry professionals
gathered for GIS what Twitter was, they would have probably
asked what grass it affects.
It was a unique experience for me as so many were intrigued
by my use of the iPhone as a superintendent. People were blown
away that you could sync your email, calendars and contacts
to your iPhone, and that real-time radar and weather forecasts
were available as well. How far we have come!
Fast-forward to the 2013 conference and show in San
Diego, and technology was everywhere. The frst thing attendees saw when they walked into the door of the convention center was a real-time Twitter board, highlighting the comments
and conversations about GIS that were taking place on that
social media platform. I also took notice of the level of socialmedia activity of people who weren't able to be in San Diego.
Many tweeted that they felt they were actually at conference
and show simply by following along on Twitter. From the host
associations and the trade show exhibitors to the educators and
attendees, social media was everywhere in San Diego.
Another big change I noticed was in the number of tablet computers being used at conference and show. Many attendees seemed to have ditched their heavy shoulder bags in
exchange for an iPad; taking notes and exchanging contact
information with exhibitors or colleagues. The companies on
the trade show foor really stepped up their iPad games, too,
and it certainly seemed like you were in the minority if you
didn't have one in your booth. The use of tablets went beyond
product demonstrations; these were being used as the primary
tool for communication and marketing.
Transformation also came to the Test Drive Technology
Center, another must-see spot in San Diego. I personally demonstrated some really fantastic new tools for superintendents
40 GCM April 2013
that many have already incorporated into their maintenance
operations. One was the AR Drone quadracopter, a remotecontrolled machine with 720p video camera that buzzed the
crowd a few times to demonstrate how it can allow superintendents to begin incorporating aerial videography into their
arsenal of tools. Another was the Swivl, touted as the "personal cameraman" that allows you to use your iPhone or iPad
Mini to create some fantastic course training videos or take
your blogging videos to the next level.
The Test Drive Technology Center also featured some
fantastic speakers with important take-home messages. The
From the host associations
and the trade show exhibitors
to the educators and
attendees, social media was
everywhere in San Diego.
use of Evernote by industry professionals was discussed at
length, as was the introduction of Google Docs and Forms
into your programs.
It is great to see the continued integration of all these innovative tools into the golf course management industry. I recall several conversations with early critics, who told me smartphones and tablet computers were just toys and fads. I would
have loved to walk the show foor with these folks this year and
get their reaction to some of the great new digital products out
there, from IPM programs to digital scouting systems.
Yep, it was another great year with so much great information to take home with you. I know the planning for the 2014
event in Orlando will begin soon, and I look forward to seeing what the "next big thing" will be.
GCM
William Brown, CGCS, heads maintenance at Hartefeld National Golf Club in
Avondale, Pa., and is a 15-year member of GCSAA.